she is the sunlight (Season 3 Drabbles)
by 27hope
Summary: Various ficlets written about olicity in season 3 of Arrow! Chapter 3: Felicity waits for Oliver to get to the restaurant for their date. (Based on the sneak peek for 3x01).
1. she is the sunlight (3x01)

**A/N: Hey everyone! Here is the promised fluff! With the previews we got this weekend of Oliver and Felicity's date, I couldn't help but write the little scene that got stuck in my head of when he goes to pick her up. Not sure if we'll actually get it in the show, but I HOPE SO!**

**As always, I LOVE to hear what you think! Please let me know! **

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He couldn't breathe from the moment he laid eyes on her.

The first thing he'd seen when she'd opened the door was the soft yet hesitant smile on her lips, blue eyes sparkling with unhidden emotions. Her hair fell in golden waves over her shoulders, some of her natural curl showing. His fingers immediately itched to reach out and run through it, knowing from previous experience it would be silky smooth against his skin.

He didn't realize he was smiling until the apprehension disappeared from her eyes.

When she stepped back to let him in, he finally got the first glimpse of her dress. Red, hugging all of her, curves and stopping just below her knees.

"I just have to grab my shoes and purse," she murmured, turning and waving him into the foyer of her townhouse as she took three steps to the right to find those items.

His mouth dropped when he saw the back of her dress. A crosshatch of straps was the only thing that covered her smooth skin down until her sides pinched in before flaring out to her hips.

Blood rushed south as he rubbed his forefinger and thumb together to keep from touching the expanse of skin bared to him.

It wasn't until she turned back, surprise and then amusement, dancing in her blue eyes that he took another breath.

His mouth bobbed up and down as he searched for words that used to come so easy to him. But all those times had been different. In his old life, they'd been platitudes that had fallen from his mouth holding little meaning.

Now, with her, his Felicity - they meant _everything_.

"You're beautiful," he finally managed, voice gravelly and hoarse, yet infused with all the honestly he possessed in his body.

As her cheeks flushed and she breathed a quiet thank you, he smiled and took one more step towards her, holding out his hand.

"Ready?" he asked, his voice not quite as steady as he would have liked it to be, but then again, this entire evening was something new to him.

He'd realized as he'd changed his tie for the third time that this was the first date he'd been on where he knew he was in love with the person he was taking to dinner.

He loved her. Everything about her. Her soft smile, her quick wit - the way she could make him smile with a tilt of her head or knowing look. She knew more about him than almost anyone and she hadn't run - despite everything she'd been through because of her association with him. She'd stayed. She'd believed in him, pushed him forward, held him when he needed it and reminded him what it meant to live.

And this was the next step in living his life. Living their lives.

If he was going to be a hero at night to this city and still Oliver Queen by day, then he wanted both of those to be with her by his side. Not simply as his partner on the team, but in everything.

As her hand slid into his, fingernails painted to match her dress, a wave of peace swept over him. This was right.

Her hand in his; her by his side. Together.

They were both nervous. He could tell. The way her eyes had kept flickering between his face and everywhere else told him that. But as soon as her hand found his, he let out a long breath and noticed that her shoulders fell as well. The nervousness dissipated and all they were left with was Oliver and Felicity.

They knew how to be Oliver and Felicity. They'd been moving towards this moment since the day he'd walked into her office with that laptop and lame excuse. He knew she'd seen through it the second the words had fallen from his lips but she'd helped him anyways.

And she kept helping him. Stayed by his side. Yelled at him when he needed it. Stood up to him when she didn't agree. Reminded him of the good inside himself - the hero - she'd always believed was inside him.

She'd woven her way into his heart and filled up all the holes left by his time away. He breathed easier the moment she entered a room, and her touch could send even his worst fears and nightmares running for the hills.

She was so much of what he never thought he deserved and now he was standing in her foyer wondering if this was really happening. If he'd really made it to the place where he deserved this...where he deserved her.

Her hand squeezed his; gentle but firm and he looked down at the intertwined fingers. He followed her arm up to her shoulder and neck and finally her face, meeting her reassuring gaze.

"Ready?" she asked softly, repeating the question he'd just asked her and wondered when he'd missed her response.

His mouth twitched up and he stepped forward, leaning down to brush his lips against her cheek as he whispered, "Yes."

The smile that lit her face took his breath away for the third time that night and they hadn't even made it out the door.

"Me too," she replied with a nudge to his shoulder. "I'm starving…"

He chuckled as he led her back across the foyer.

Heart swelling with love, he opened the door, and followed her outside and down to the waiting car, ready to take this step forward with her.

They were another few steps down the road to his happy story.


	2. He's Not You (Season 3 speculation fic)

**A/N: This came to me after sitting in a bunch of meetings and reading over the new interviews with the EP's of ARROw. Once of the big questions for Oliver and Felicity is going to be "Can I be with someone else if I'm not with you?" and that answer is obviously going to be no...but I wanted to explore it with this little drabble.**

**I hope you enjoy it! As always, I LOVE to know what you think, so let me know! Thanks for all your support! **

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As Oliver entered the Foundry, he hadn't expected to hear the soft tapping of fingers against a keyboard. Immediately alert, he froze halfway down the stairs, eyes quickly taking in all corners and dark spaces before landing on the familiar form of Felicity.

He frowned, brow furrowing as he recalled her telling him the other day that she was going to take the night off. She had a date with Palmer. He was sure because he remembered the way his stomach clenched into that familiar ball of discomfort when she'd mentioned something about an important conversation. He's plastered a smile on his face and told her go, have a good time.

Her eyes had flashed with something at his almost-terse tone, but she'd let it be and he'd been thankful. If she would have pushed it, he knew there was a very good chance he'd have broken.

He took in her appearance, eyes landing on the casual attire she wore; her legs curled comfortably underneath her as if she were at home on her couches her as she occupied her chair in front of the bank of monitors.

It was how at home he felt when she was here that really made him pause. Without her, this was just a foundry - walls and mats; a place to train and run schematics from on a mission.

With her, it was _home_.

A place he felt at peace whenever he entered after a long day. Seeing her sitting at her computer lessened the ache in his chest that had taken up residence there ever since that night almost six months ago when he'd brought her back to the foundry covered in ash and blood.

She scrolled through her screens with one hand, the other playing idly with one of her dangling silver earrings, a habit he'd come to recognize as one of her many different thinking poses.

For the first time in days, they were alone.

Hours earlier, he'd sent Diggle home to Lyla and the baby. After watching an irritable Roy train, he'd sent him on his way as well. He was restless and needed space to think. His eyes had drifted to the bank of computers and her empty chair more than once as he'd worked over the training dummies. He missed her; even when she was only gone for a night. Seeing her space empty left a bad taste in his mouth and sent his chest into knots of worry and unease.

After an hour on the salmon ladder, his mind still spinning around the idea that he part of his restlessness was caused by her physical absence, he'd suited up and grabbed his bow, deciding he to try to work off his frustrations with a little fresh air. He didn't like going out without her in his ear but he made sure to keep to the rooftops and shadows.

Unfortunately, he'd found the city unnervingly quiet despite the late hour. He'd decided to return to the foundry, hoping with a few more rounds on the salmon ladder or pull ups from the ceiling, he'd be able to pass out from exhaustion.

That was until he'd found her here.

His eyes slid over her once more, memorizing every little detail about her, making sure she was real and he wasn't dreaming. He'd been doing a lot of that lately.

Her hair was thrown up in her signature ponytail, soft curls hanging curling over her shoulder. Dark skinny jeans clung to her curves, and he had to admire the royal blue patterned top with a keyhole cut out of the back, showing off the play of muscles along her shoulder blades as she typed.

His bow creaked under the pressure of his grip as the image of his hand on the exposed flesh danced through his mind. Closing his eyes briefly, he clenched his jaw, ordering himself to relax.

With only a hint of hesitation, he let out a silent breath and slowly continued down the rest of the stairs. When he reached at the bottom, he watched her shoulders rise in awareness and realized she knew he was there.

"I thought you were on a date with Pal...Ray," he said, catching his slip, remembering the conversation they'd had last week about his use of Ray's last name and the reasoning behind it.

He tried to keep his tone steady, but even he could hear the frisson of tension running beneath.

With three measured steps, he reached the glass case that housed his bow, setting it on it's stand without looking. His eyes remained trained on her, watching how her shoulders sagged as she took a deep breath.

"Actually…" she began, her voice soft as she swiveled in her chair, legs unfurling beneath her.

She stood, her eyes focused on the floor at his feet as her next words left her mouth.

"Ray and I aren't…" she paused, swallowing and then drawing in a rapid breath before changing courses, "We decided…we broke up," she finished quickly.

Her eyes darted to his, blue meeting blue as he stilled, refusing to even breath in case he'd heard wrong.

Something akin to hope unfurled in his chest, fluttering wildly against his ribcage.

Blinking twice, he waited a beat before sucking in a deep breath, and opening his mouth, forcing out his reply. "I thought you really liked him..."

Felicity sighed, her whole body deflating as she gave a soft, rueful chuckle. Twisting her hands in front of her, she craned her head backwards and glanced towards the ceiling.

Her eyelashes fluttered against her cheeks and he realized a moment later that she was trying to keep the tears at bay.

"I do…" she whispered thickly, shaking her head and that flame of hope was doused to a quiet ember as she continued. "He's kind and charming and sweet and tall, dark and handsome - one of those things girls dream about when they're younger...He knows what I'm talking about when I ramble on and on about technology or science and he can even keep up with my sometimes very odd sense of humor…."

Oliver shifted uncomfortably, his hands balling into fists at his side, suddenly wishing he could take back his last statement. The last thing he needed was a list of reasons why Ray Palmer was the perfect guy for Felicity. A knot of agitation formed in his stomach, setting him on edge as he grit his teeth and waited for her to finish.

"He's so funny, and he even has that whole alter ego thing I apparently go for…" she whispered, her voice catching softly.

He inhaled sharply, chest expanding as the hope inside fought for life.

"He's wonderful." Her voice grew quieter as she tilted her head forward, biting her bottom lip.

Oliver felt like a lifetime passed as he waited for her next words, his entire body on edge, fingers itching for his bow again - something to hold so he didn't feel so off-balance.

She peered up at him through her glasses and bit down on her bottom lip before dragging in a ragged breath.

"But…he's not _you_."

Oliver stopped moving, stopped breathing, stopped thinking. All the air was seemingly sucked from the room as those words echoed around them.

Blue eyes watered, lips tilting upwards as she shrugged her shoulders. His silence lasted long enough that she apparently felt the need to continue, her proclivity for words in what she deemed awkward or tense situations roaring to life as she plowed ahead.

"He's not you, Oliver. And no matter how hard I tried to tell myself I could be happy with him…I just kept thinking, he's not you. No matter how much I tried to love him...I couldn't," she paused, gathering herself, her voice becoming stronger. "Because I love you...and I…"

She didn't get the chance to finish, her words sending air rushing back through his body and, in two long strides, he'd closed the distance between them, both of his hands cupping her cheeks as he brought his lips down hard and fast against hers.

He swallowed whatever she'd planned to say next, his tongue sliding across her bottom lip and into her mouth. She seemed frozen against him for a few seconds, palms spread flat against his jacket, and then his tongue met hers and she responded. Her fingers fisted in the material of his green leather jacket and she surged up onto her toes, pulling him closer.

Electricity skittered down his spine, heat spiraling through him as he tasted her for the first time, and it was better and more than he ever imagined. Her lithe body pressed against his, caused his own to react immediately, and he couldn't stop the low growl when her hips pushed involuntarily into his.

Needing to slow this down before he had her against the med bay table or the nearest concrete pillar, he threaded his fingers through her ponytail, ghosting over the nape of her neck. He felt her shiver at his touch and eased his pressure on her lips. His thumbs brushed away the wetness on her cheeks, nipping at her lower lip, sucking in deep pulls of air before fusing his mouth with hers once more.

She moaned, and he felt her hands traveling up his chest, nimble fingers finding the zipper and tugging it down. Once open, her hands snaked inside, and he growled as cool fingers made contact with his hot flesh.

One of his hands cupped the back of her head, thumb resting along her jaw as he angled her head up and nipped at her lips, place soft quick kisses before lingering longer and longer.

His tongue swept through her mouth, tangling with her at a more languid pace as he wrapped his other arm around her back.

When they finally broke apart, both gasping for breath, he leaned his forehead on hers. The knot deep inside him that had been present for the past six months ebbed and faded into nothingness as he held her in his arms, lips still tingling from the feel and taste of her.

"Say it again," he whispered throatily, chest aching in the best possible way.

Her palm splayed flat over his heart as her eyes flicked up to his. "I love you."

His lips descended on hers once more and he knew he could spend his whole life doing just this - kissing her, holding her, loving her.

When he pulled back he was surprised to see her brow furrowed, worry flashing through her eyes and he immediately knew she was thinking about the last time they'd tried to do this and the disastrous outcome.

"What about…"

He pecked her lips, his eyes falling shut as her bowed his head and letting his nose skim along her hairline until his mouth was near her ear. He was so tired of fighting what his heart wanted and needed; so tired of letting fear control his life.

"We'll find another way," he whispered against her skin. "Like we always do."

She heaved a sigh of relief, a soft murmur of laughter erupting from her as she burrowed her face against the crook of his neck,

As they held each other tight, he knew that he'd never let her go again.


	3. hold your breath and count to ten (3x01)

**A/N: I really hope you guys aren't getting tired of these little ficlets….these two just attack me with feelings. (I wrote this during my break today…what are these two doing to me?!)**

**As always, I'd love to know what you think! Thank you so much!**

She arrived early.

Standing outside of the small Italian restaurant, she took a long, deep breath trying to calm her racing heart. Smoothing down her dress and running her fingers through her hair, she entered the building, knowing she'd beat Oliver there since he'd still been in his suit when she'd left the foundry.

She'd sat at home for 30 minutes, ready and staring at her tablet until she couldn't take it anymore, grabbing her keys, and walking out her door.

The hostess seated her with a smile, obviously noting her nervousness.

It frustrated her - that she was nervous. It was Oliver. She'd never felt more at ease with someone in her life.

But this was different. This was a step off that ledge they'd been teetering on for months - maybe since the moment he'd walked into her office with a laptop full of bullet holes. This was that leap of faith and they'd both decided to take that step, falling together.

She trusted him to catch her and she would do the same for him.

It was then that she felt his eyes on her. Her body immediately responded to his gaze, goosebumps breaking out on her skin.

She turned her head, finding his gaze, and her breath caught in her throat.

Dressed in a charcoal grey suit, he stood, his eyes sparkling in the dim lighting, lips tilting upward in a small smile that caused butterflies to erupt in her stomach. She watched as his shoulders rose with a deep breath, taking her in and she had never felt more beautiful or loved or wanted than in that moment.

When a waiter passed in between them, the spell was broken and Oliver moved forward, long legs eating up the distance between them.

She stood with a soft smile on her lips as he drew nearer, heart beating furiously in her chest.

"Hey," she greeted him quietly, and was surprised when, before speaking a word, she was pulled into his arms, strong hands at her back, ghosting against her exposed skin.

Chills raced up and down her spine, making her pulse spike as images flashed in her mind at what those fingers and hands could do in a more private setting.

She fell into him, her eyes fluttering shut as she breathed in his scent and the knot of nerves in her stomach immediately began to loosen.

"Hey," he finally replied, taking a step back.

One of his hands found hers, and his lips brushed against her forehead - a feather light touch that left her aching for more.

"You look beautiful," he murmured, breath brushing over her eyelids and her smile widened, warmth spreading throughout her as she hummed in response.

Cheeks reddening, she let her eyes slid open, taking in his face so close to hers. Her eyes immediately fell to his lips and she had to physically step back to keep herself from pressing her mouth to his, and tasting him.

"Sorry I'm late," he told her as he helped her into her seat, his hand never leaving hers.

"You're actually not late," she chuckled, "I'm early…"

She sucked her bottom lip into her mouth, knowing she was failing at hiding her anticipation, and the fact that she couldn't wait to get here.

Calloused fingers slid against her knuckles, grasp tightening, making her eyes fly up to his.

When she met his gaze, she knew she hadn't been the only one who'd been looking forward to tonight.

"I might have taken the bike to get here - and a few of the Arrow's shortcuts," he replied, lips twitching into a grin that made her heart melt.

"I'm just glad we're here," she told him softly after a moment, candlelight casting shadows around them, making everything more intimate and everyone else seemed to fade away, until it was just the two of them.

"Me too," he whispered hoarsely, voice cracking - emotion bleeding through. "Me too."

She laced her fingers through his, and held on tight to everything sitting in front of her - her heart full for the first time in so long.


End file.
